(31 



the damascening (pcimur) during welding. To make the jtamur 

 for the particular pattern of spear chosen for tlie Museum, tAvo 

 pieces of old umbrella-ril) were taken and worked into the shape 

 shown in PI. XIV ; next tAvo sti-ipes of brsi pamur (soft wrought 

 iron ?), also obtained from Patani, were bent into scrolls (PI. XIV) 

 and hammered flat. These four pieces of metal form the pamur, 

 being placed, one of each kind, outside the two plates of bi^si 

 Tcurai, Avith the hesi payonij nearest the end which is to form the point 

 of the spear. The plates of hesi rantai ai'e added outside these and 

 the Avhole " sandwich " is taken and carefully heated and then dipped 

 in a mixture of sand and water to which has been added a jjinch 

 or two of ii'on flakes taken fi'om beloAV the an\'il. When the pieces 

 haA'e been thoroughly coA-ered with sand they are grasped with the 

 pincers and again placed in the fire, Avhich has some little time 

 preA-iously been sprinkled with the wet sand : the sand according to 

 tiie smitli acts as a flux (pctcri). They are next taken from tlie fire, 

 beaten on the anvil, re-dipped in the sand, heated and beaten until all 

 the layers have been welded together. The block thus foi-med is 

 then further dipped, heated, and beaten on all its faces until no 

 crevices are left, losing in the process a considerable amount of 

 Aveight through scaling. When the Avelding has been completed to 

 the smith's satisfaction, he takes the block and forges it out into the 

 required shape of the spear head. Next, he slightly files the blade 

 and rubs it Avith a mixture of lime juice, sulphur, and salt, in order 

 to bring up any painnr Avliich may be Aasible owing to the scaling 

 away of the guard plates of bcsi rantai. He is thus al)le to judge to 

 Avhat extent he can file up the blade without injuring the damascene. 

 When the tiling process has been completed, two ornamental grooves 

 are cut on each side of the blade near its base, and the roimd oinia- 

 ments beloAV the base filed into shape. Next, the blade is heated 

 and dipped into a mixture of buffalo fat, turtle fat and coconut 

 oil to temper, it. Then it is Aviped dry and ground on the emery 

 wheel until sufficiently polished. At this stage the damascening is 

 iuA'isible, or nearly so, and the blade requires to undergo a pickling 

 and developing process in order to bring it out. With this object 

 it is placed in a bamboo containing a mixture of lime juice, coconut 

 milk, a little of the Avater used for A\'ashing rice, AA'hich has been 

 collected from the pool of slops Avhich is found below all Malay houses, 

 pineapple leaA-es, saltpetre, pieces of Lcngktias* stem and Gamas 

 leaves (?). The blade is left in this mixture for a couple of nights or 

 so, until the smith considers that the pickling or etching process is 

 sufficiently ad A'anced. He then cleans it in preparation for the treatment 

 Avhich is finally to bring up the damascening. For this he takes a small 

 piece of red arsenic, such as is genei-ally sold in the bazaars, half a 

 lime, and a little juice expressed from a piece of Leiigknas stem. 

 He spreads his mat in the open, and grasping the spear head in his 



* Leugkuas is, according to Wilkinsonj either Alpinia conchigera or Alpinia 

 galanyn. 



